Hieam l



(No Model.)

H. L. RIOKS.

METHOD OF PRESERVING SUBMERGED TIMBER.- No. 380,820. Patented Apr. 10, 1888.

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I HI WITNESSES:

Ilnrrn STATES PATENT t rrent HIRAM L. RICKS, OF EUREKA, CALIFORNIA.

METHOD OF PRESERVING SUBMERGED TIMBERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 30,820, dated April 10, 1888.

Serial No. 247,741. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM L. RrcKs, of Eureka, in the county of Humboldt and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Method of Preserving Submerged Timbers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the lannexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure l is a side sectional elevation of a series of piles arranged to be preserved by my improved method, and Figs. 2 and 3 are modified forms of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effectivemethod of preserving piles and other submerged timbers against the ravages of the teredo and other borers.

My invention consists in forming in the piles or timbers longitudinal or transverse passages, or both, and connecting the said piles or timbers by pipes which comm nnicate with a tank containing fresh water.

I will describe my invention as applied to a series of piles forming a part of a dock; but I do not limit or confine my invention to this application.

The piles A are bored longitudinally, forming passages a, and the passages of the different piles are connected with each other by pipes I), screwed into the piles. One of the pipes b, or one of the passages a, is connected with an elevated tank, B, by a pipe, 0. The

passages to may be made diagonal, as shown in Fi 2 and transverse )assa es a communi a I n 7 l eating with the passage a, may be provided, or the piles may be bored axially, as shown in Fig. 3, and provided with transverse passages a to insure the more thorough distribution of the water in the pile.

I have found by experiment that submerged timbers constantly soaked in fresh water are not acted on by the t-eredo. ThereforeI fill the tank B with fresh water and maintain a continuous supply of fresh water to the piles connected therewith. The fresh watery-by pressing outwardly, displaces the salt-water and keeps the timbers constantly soaked with the fresh Water.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The method of preserving timbers submerged in salt-water, which consists in keeping the timbers so submerged soaked with fresh water, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described method of preserving submerged timbers, which consists in supplying to the timbers interiorly fresh water under pressure, substantially as specified.

3. The herein-described method of preserving submerged timbers, which consists in continuously supplying to the timbers from the interior fresh water under pressure, substan tially as set forth.

HIRAM L. RIOKS.

W'itnesses:

J. A. SINCLAIR, E. Rosoon. 

